Review: Kask Bambino Pro

The Kask Bambino Pro is said to be aerodynamic in all head positions, helpful if you struggle to keep your head still while riding. Chris Hovenden has been testing it out.

On the road with the Bambino Pro

Let’s be honest, before the Italian company started sponsoring Team Sky, Kask was not one of the brands that came to mind when considering buying a new helmet.

However, Chris Froome’s exceptional success against the clock in time trials has made it hard to ignore the impact of Kask’s aero lids. Further, in the world of triathlon, Kask has been supporting 4-time World Champion Leanda Cave.

If spending close to £300 on a helmet you definitely want it to be versatile (for perspective – Giro’s top of the range Aerohead Ultimate MIPS retails for a mind boggling £519.99, whereas the lower spec Aerohead option is available at £259.99).

With its short and stubby tail the Bambino Pro is following the trend of drag defying lids that are designed to offer aero gains whilst not negating these benefits when fatigue sets in and you start moving your head around.

The result is a helmet that could in theory be suitable for sprint triathlons and longer distance races.

The Bambino has been around for a few years and with the latest generation Kask has made a few improvements.

Kask says that the helmet’s shape has been amended following wind tunnel testing and claims the result is a helmet that is aero whatever your head position.

The magnets that keep the transparent visor (you can buy other visors separately), in situ have been re-designed and now the magnets recess into the helmet – the result is a more aerodynamic profile; and, a visor that is fixed securely, which is good news for those that are used to wearing sunnies who may instinctively touch the visor. You’d have to hit it pretty hard to dislodge it.

However, although the wide visor offers a good field of vision, I found that when jumping on the bike with wet hair the visor tended to steam up (an issue fellow riders had expressed). Obviously you can remove the visor on the fly, but you might want to practice stowing it on the top of the helmet.

Also, when rushing in T1 I found getting the lid on with the visor installed a bit challenging (it is doable… but takes some practice), and on occasions I managed to get the dial of the Octo-Fit system stuck between my head and the shell. Easily solved… less haste, more speed.

Once on the road, the retention system works well. You can adjust the fit when riding by turning the rear dial and this combined with the elaborate leather chin-strap and internal padding provide a comfortable fit.

The equation is simple – more air ports, means better ventilation but it also means less aero.

The Kask Bambino Pro aims to reach a manageable compromise. To help keep your head cool it has six air slits at the front and four at the back, as well as channels that run through the roof of the helmet. However, if riding in hotter climates, you might prefer a lid with more ventilation.

The Kask Bambino Pro is a good option for a rider like me; not being the most flexible, the short/stubby profile is a good option for anything beyond 40k.

However, you might have noticed at last year’s the Tour de France Chris Froome was using a longer tailed version – in short, if you can hold an aero position you may make more aero gains with a longer tailed aero helmet, such as the Bell Javelin.

Verdict

Versatile and relatively light aero lid, but it comes with a ‘Sky’ high price.